Sifter fitment and cover cap for a container with means to attach the cap to the sifter



Oct 19 6 A. s. JOHNSON, JR, ETAL 3,276,642

SIFTER FITMENT AND COVER CAP FOR A CONTAINER WITH MEANS To ATTACH THE CAP TO THE SIFTER Filed April 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTQRN EQS Oct. 4, 1966 A 5 JOHNSON JR" ETAL 3,276,642

SIFTER FITMENT AND covan CAP FOR A CONTAINER WITH MEANS TO ATTACH THE GAP TO THE SIFTER Filed April 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALBERT & JOHNSON JP. IRA H.

Ml LLER BY 6 TFO United States Patent F corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,447 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-545) Our invention is an improved sifter fitment and cover cap attachable to the mouth-forming neck of a glass container or other receptacle for dispensing spices, etc. in granular form.

An important object of our invention is the provision of a novel sifter fitment formed of polyethylene or some similar plastic material and including a cover cap separably connected in effective, unique fashion to the fitment.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a dispensing unit for granular products consisting of an apertured sifter fitment and a cover cap, wherein the fitment and cover cap are held together by an interengaged shoulder and bead, while these two elements are secured to the neck of a container by a shoulder and bead holding means which is somewhat more effective than the connection between the cap and fitment, so that the cover cap alone may be easily removed, without displacing the fitment itself.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying application:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glass container with the cover cap of our invention attached thereto, to enclose and seal the dispensing apertures of the sifter fitment.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the sifter fitment to the container.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the entire assembly, showing the sifter fitment secured to the container and the cover cap removably attached to the fitment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another slightly modified form of our invention wherein the fitment and cover cap are of circular form as contrasted to the square contour shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover cap which is used with the fitment shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the interlocking of the fitment and cover cap and a pressure sensitive sheet between the fitment and cap to seal the dispensing apertures of the fitment until the consumer initially opens the package.

In one illustrated form of our invention (FIGS. 1-3) it is shown in conjunction with a glass container C having a mouth-forming neck 10 which terminates in a flat annular ri-m 11. Externally, the neck in the rim end area is formed with an annular, downwardly, inwardly tapering shoulder 12, which, as will be pointed out presently, aids in securing the sifter fitment to the container. Beneath the shoulder 12 the neck is provided with an annular radial head 13 which, at the four corners of the container (FIG. 2) is extended radially outward to create guide fingers 14, these aiding in effecting proper initial positioning of the cover cap just prior to telescoping same over and interlocking it with the fitment, as, perhaps, is best shown in FIG. 3.

The sifter fitment is of the snap-on type, comprising a disk-like top wall 15 or panel and a depending annular skirt 16 at its margin. This skirt 16 is provided internally with an annular bead 1'7 designed to drawings forming a part of our 3,276,642 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 ice firmly engage the shoulder 12 of the container neck and thereby secure the fitment to the container. The top wall 15 of the fitment is formed with a group or multiplicity of dispensing apertures 18 or openings and encircling the group of apertures is an annular upstanding rib 19 having an external circumferential tapered or inclined shoulder 20. This shoulder snugly engages part of the cover cap 21, as will be evident presently.

This cover cap, as is the sifter fitment, may well be formed of polyethylene or some plastic having like characteristics. The cap comprises a top wall 22, or panel, of generally square contour and a four-sided depending skirt 23-. Preferably there is a short radius at each corner of the cap. Internal ribs 24 on the skirt take over the bead 13 on the container neck 10 to aid in securing the cap in place over the fitment, such, however, in fact being the secondary securing means. Primarily the cap is held in place upon the fitment and container by means comprising an internal annular bead 25 on a depjending wall 26 of the cap top, such bead fitting tightly against the aforementioned shoulder 20. The top wall 22 of the cover cap is provided with a dished central area D, the peripheral wall 27 of which cooperates with the wall 26 in creating a channel 28 to accommodate the rib 19 of the fitment. The channel 28 has its inner side wall inclined to facilitate assembly of the fitment and cover cap. It is apparent that the floor of the dished part of the cap effectively closes all of the apertures 18 when the cover and fitment are assembled (FIG. 3) so as to prevent egress of the packaged product therethrough.

It is quite apparent that assembly of the several elements follows filling of the container with granular spices, or some such product and involves first snapping the fitment over the container neck to bring the bead 17 and tapered shoulder 12 together as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter the cover cap 21 is telescoped over the fitment sufficiently to snap the bead 25 beneath the shoulder 20. Obviously, if preferred, the fitment and cover cap could be preassembled and then as a unit applied to the container. Because the fitment is more tightly held upon the container than is the cover cap upon the fitment, the

cover can can be removed quite readily without disturbing the fitment.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 a slightly modified form of our invention is shown, such merely involving omission of the guiding fingers 14 of the already described form and the use of a circular sifter fitment 29 and cover cap 30. The container C proper may be of any preferred contour.

In FIG. 6 the specific means for interlocking the sifter fitment and cover cap together is best shown and we have added a pressure sensitive sheet 31 or disk to seal the dispensing apertures 18. This sheet is readily removable preparatory to dispensing the contents.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a container having a mouth-defining neck embodying an annular end rim, a sitter fitrnent attached to the neck and comprising a flat wall spanning the mouth and having a central area provided with a plurality of apertures, a cover cap having a top wall and an annular skirt depending therefrom, the cover cap adapted to telescope over the fitment and a portion of the neck with the depending annular skirt spaced radially outward from the fitment and the neck, an annular upstanding wall rising from the fitment about the apertured area, there being an external outwardly downwardly inclined shoulder on said wall, the cover-cap top having an annular depending wall formed with an external integral bead adapted to engage said inclined shoulder and thereby securing said cap to the fitment and container, the bead and shoulder overlying said end rim.

2. In a combination as defined in claim 1, there being a readily removable pressure sensitive sheet attached to the fitment to seal the apertures.

3. In combination a sitter-fitment comprising a disklike top wall having a group of dispensing openings therein, an annular depending attaching skirt about the periphery of said top wall formed with an internal bead, an upstanding annular wall on said top wall encircling the group of apertures inwardly from the internal bead and having an external tapered shoulder, a cover-cap telescoped over said fitment and comprising a top Wall formed to close said openings and an annular depending attaching skirt at the periphery of said Wall, and a depending internal annular flange on the cover cap to wall radially inward from said skirt and encircling the tapered shoulder carrying Wall, said flange formed with an integral bead snugly engaging said shoulder to hold the fitment and cover cap assembled.

4. In combination, a container having a body generally rectangular in cross-sectional configuration and having a circular neck defining a mouth, the neck having an annular external cap retaining shoulder adjacent the mouth, and a radial guide finger above each corner of the container and beneath the shoulder, there being a sitter fitment comprising a top wall spanning the mouth and having a group of dispensing openings therein, an annular depending attaching skirt at the periphery of said top wall, said skirt having an internal bead for holding engagement :with said shoulder, an upstanding annular wall rising from said top wall inwardly from the skirt and encircling the group of openings in the latter, said annular wall having an external inclined cover retaining shoulder, a cover cap of rectangular configuration and having a top wall closing said openings, a depending skirt at the periphery of the cover cap top wall, said skirt, telescoped over a portion of the neck and guide fingers and being positioned in radial spaced relationship to the fitment skirt, interengaged portions on the cap skirt and guide fingers to aid in cap and fitment retention, and a depending Wall within the cover cap formed with a bead for holding engagement with the inclined retaining shoulder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,926,186 9/1933 Wilson 222-56 2 2,190,676 2/1940 Perry 222562 X 2,342,932 2/1944 Fram et al. 222-545 X 2,576,416 11/1951 Randle-tt 222-562 X 2,625,306 1/1953 Murphy 222545 X 2,753,051 7/1956 Tupper 222545 X 2,815,893 12/1957 Frank 222562 X 3,117,701 1/1964 Stull 222562 X 3,149,763 9/1964 Exton 222-545 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER HAVING A MOUTH-DEFINING NECK EMBODYING AN ANNULAR END RIM, A SIFTER FITMENT ATTACHED TO THE NECK AND COMPRISING A FLAT WALL SPANNING THE MOUTH AND HAVING A CENTRAL AREA PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES, A COVER CAP HAVING A TOP WALL AND AN ANNULAR SKIRT DEPENDING THEREFROM, THE COVER CAP ADAPTED TO TELESCOPE OVER THE FITMENT AND A PORTION OF THE NECK WITH THE DEPENDING ANNULAR SKIRT SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE FITMENT AND THE NECK, AN ANNULAR UPSTANDING WALL RISING FROM THE FITMENT ABOUT THE APERTURED AREA, THERE BEING AN EXTERNAL OUTWARDLY DOWNWARDLY INCLINED SHOULDER ON SAID WALL, THE COVER-CAP TOP HAVING AN ANNULAR DEPENDING WALL FORMED WITH AN EXTERNAL INTEGRAL BEAD ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID INCLINED SHOULDER AND THEREBY SECURING SAID CAP TO THE FITMENT AND CONTAINER, THE BEAD AND SHOULDER OVERLYING SAID END RIM. 